People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
